saturday NOVEMBER 29

Explore Ontario Agriculture

Farms. Food operations. Innovation. A full day immersed in the best of Ontario’s ag community.

TODAY'S Schedule

What's Happening?

Farm & Facility Tours

Explore Ontario farms, distribution hubs, and family-run operations that shape our local food system.

Dinner

A relaxed buffet dinner back at the Sheraton after the tours.

Hospitality

Unwind in the Dominion Ballroom, then keep the conversations going during Late Night Hospitality.

Saturday Tour Day

All groups begin the day at the Loblaws Distribution Centre, then travel to their assigned farm stops.

Loblaws Distribution Centre

A rare inside look at Canada’s largest food distribution hub.

What You’ll See:

We’ll visit the newly constructed 1.2-million-square-foot Loblaws Distribution Centre, set on 150 acres. As Canada’s largest food retailer, this state-of-the-art logistics hub is where food and consumer goods are organized, stored, and distributed across Ontario and beyond.

This tour gives guests a rare look at how a modern supply chain operates at scale.

Need to Know:

Meet your bus at 7:15 AM in the hotel lobby. Buses leave promptly.
Come to breakfast dressed for the tour. There is no time to return to your room before departure.
Bring a warm layer. The facility is cold and the tour route includes temperature-controlled zones.

Youth Information:

Youth 10 and older take part in the full Loblaws tour.
Youth under 10 will participate in supervised youth activities instead of the tour.

Language & Bus Assignment

French-speaking guests who want live translation must board Bus D, which includes a translator and headsets.

Safety & Dress Requirements

(Provided directly by Loblaws)

Wear comfortable, closed-toe flat shoes. Safety or running shoes recommended.
No heels and no open-toe footwear permitted.
Pants or jeans only. Skirts and dresses are not allowed.
The tour includes stairs, grated flooring, and elevated viewpoints. There are no elevators or escalators on the tour route.
Temperatures inside the facility can be very cold. Dress warmly and layer as needed.
Expect a fair amount of walking.

Good to Know

You must stay with your assigned tour group, follow all safety instructions, and respect restricted areas.

Cooper’s CSA Farm & Maze

Home of OOYF Alumni Steve and Lisa Cooper, National Winners 2010

What You’ll See:

A guided visit through a 400-acre, multi-enterprise family farm run by the Cooper family. Your group will rotate through four stations so each bus experiences the full operation.

Tour Stations:

Corn Maze
Sugar Shack
Farm Store & Snack Area
Pack Room + Large Coolers/Freezers (visual overview of how their CSA program works)

The Coopers raise beef cattle, pastured poultry, and heritage pigs; grow seasonal produce; make maple syrup; operate an industrial kitchen; run a farm store; and manage agritourism activities. The farm is led by the 7th generation of the Cooper family.

Need To Know:

Expect walking, uneven ground, and outdoor areas
Stay with your assigned bus group during the rotation.
The farm store accepts all forms of payment (cash preferred)

Willowtree Farm

Home of OYF Alumni Jordan and Alex McKay, National Winners 2018

What You’ll See:

Willowtree is a third-generation family farm run by the McKays. They farm about 600 acres, raise beef and lamb, grow over 170 acres of fruits and vegetables, and run one of the busiest farm stores in the region. The family also produces maple syrup, presses and bottles apple cider, and supplies wholesale crops like garlic, strawberries, and corn.

During Your Visit:

Browse their year-round farm market filled with farm-raised meats, seasonal produce, preserves, and fresh meals from their in-house kitchen
Hear how the McKays manage growing, harvesting, retail, CSA families, and wholesale customers
Connect with the family and see why Willowtree is such a staple in Durham Region.
The farm market will be open if you'd like to pick up something fresh to take home.

Good to Know

This is a relaxed, light-walking stop. Stay with your bus group as your day continues through the tour route.

Algoma Orchards

One of Canada’s largest family-owned apple growers

About Algoma:

Algoma Orchards is a fourth-generation family-owned business, farming more than 1,600 acres of apples. Their facility includes a modern 135,000 sq ft packing plant with the capacity to handle 1 million bushels of apples per year. You’ll get insight into orchard operations, sustainability, storage, and their on-site gourmet market.

During Your Visit:

Learn how the orchard manages large-scale production, post-harvest storage, and modern packing techniques
Visit the gourmet market on site and browse apple-based goods, cider, preserves, and other specialty products
See how the orchard integrates innovation, from high-density plantings to advanced irrigation and supply-chain logistics
Market purchases available for those who wish to take something home